“There are many kids today who live in the shadows of big, urban buildings. These youth are often disconnected from nature and really need to experience the sense of adventure and wonder that camping delivers,” said Matthew Thornton, area director and interim scout executive for the Boy Scouts CAC. He added, “Camping with the Boy Scouts teaches self-reliance. Young Scouts go in a boy, and come out a man.”

Drew Glassford, a long-time Scout and now Northern Illinois market director of the Boy Scouts CAC, is convinced that Scouting shaped his sense of purpose. “For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by positive male role models and learned about self-respect and leadership.” By Drew’s own admission, he went from being an at-risk kid to a successful real estate leader today. “I applied the principles I learned in Scouting to my life.”

Camping, however, is just one way the Boy Scouts of America inspire boys and young men. “Whether it’s building a robot, doing a chemistry experiment, or showing the practical uses for math, we expose Scouts to a range of life experiences,” explained Thornton.

However, many mothers (particularly in urban Chicago) are not aware of the diverse nature of today’s Scouting experience. They view the Boy Scouts through an old and now obsolete lens. That is what the Boy Scouts CAC and Heartland Mobile intend to change through contemporary, mobile marketing.

Millennial Moms rely increasingly on mobile devices to gather information and help them run their households. This trend has accelerated the fastest among Hispanics in urban areas. According to Nielsen Mobile Insights, their smartphone adoption rate is significantly higher than the rest of the population (68% vs. 58% among non-Hispanics).

Myriam Herrera, development director, Latino outreach, for the Boy Scouts CAC (and herself an urban, Hispanic mom) believed mobile could bridge the gap from the Boy Scouts to urban families so she sought out Heartland Mobile to bring its mobile expertise to the Boy Scouts CAC.

The Heartland Mobile Council is a non-profit organization that exists to inspire and educate marketers on how to use mobile effectively. Founded in 2009 by Hugh Park Jedwill, executive director and previous Boy Scout, the Council is managed by a volunteer leadership team. Together, they create, curate, and deliver educational programs and proprietary content through annual conferences, quarterly summits, webinars, mobile competitions, and mobile certification workshops with faculty from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.

Fortune 500 marketers collaborate with Heartland Mobile to spread mobile wisdom across the industry. They include leaders from Best Buy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, ESPN, Google, Kimberly-Clark, MasterCard, Microsoft, Netflix, PepsiCo, Walgreens, and Whirlpool, among 25 national brands.

A new addition to Heartland Mobile’s suite of offerings this year is the HMC Action program. “This is a natural extension to what Heartland Mobile has been doing ... helping corporate marketers discover, embrace, and realize the full, strategic value of mobile,” stated Jedwill. He added, “HMC Action is about applying our resources and mobile knowledge to worthy non-profits, so they may realize the benefits of mobile marketing, too.”

This alliance with the Boy Scouts CAC is Heartland Mobile’s first HMC Action initiative. Both organizations are thrilled with the opportunity, and see this as a long-term partnership.

“The Boy Scouts of America plays an essential role in society. They create and deliver significant social value. It’s a privilege for us at Heartland Mobile to help an institution doing such important work,” stated Jedwill.

“And we’re honored to be working with such esteemed experts in the field of mobile marketing,” added Thornton. “We are extremely confident that Heartland Mobile will help us find better ways to connect with Millennial Moms ... and ensure the Boy Scout brand is viewed as the contemporary and relevant service we’ve designed it to be.”

About The Boy Scouts of AmericaThe Chicago Area Council, Boy Scouts of America serves thousands of youth across Chicagoland through traditional Scouting programs, such as Learning for Life, and Exploring. The principal purpose of all Chicago Area Council programs is to instill positive values and prepare youth for life. To learn more, visit http://www.chicagobsa.org/.

About The Heartland Mobile Council™The Heartland Mobile Council™ is a Chicago-based 501(c)(6) non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire brands on how to use mobile effectively. Through its partnership with brands in its main initiatives – Mobile University™, Brands+Startups™, Heartland Mobile Certification, HMC Action – Heartland Mobile serves to grow and guide the industry. To learn more, visit http://heartlandmobilecouncil.org/.